The Baa Atoll Conservation Fund (BACF) Board held a meeting on 28 January 2019, attended by 8 participants representing 7 stakeholder organisations, to discuss matters relating to the Fund’s grants programme and the continued management of the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve.

A key decision of the meeting was the approval of MVR 3,000,000.00 (Three Million Maldivian Rufiyaa) to be awarded as grants under the 2019 BACF Grants Programme.

The Board also decided that the 2019 grant cycle would be officially announced in April 2019, providing communities and stakeholders with an opportunity to participate in the programme.

For the 2019 grant cycle, it was agreed that Baa Atoll Council as the main grant recipient, with the Council tasked with developing tangible outputs benefiting all 13 islands of Baa Atoll in consultation with the respective Island Councils and to present the findings to the next Board meeting.

This approach was intended to strengthen coordination among the Atoll and Island Councils and ensure that the benefits of the grant programme extended across communities throughout Baa Atoll.

The Board also agreed to inform stakeholders across Baa Atoll about the UNESCO periodic review of the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve and seek their continued support in maintaining the Reserve’s status.